1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slider zipper assembly which is formed by using oxygen scavenging polymers (OSPs) in the extrusion process. The oxygen scavenging polymer can be a co-extruded layer or can be blended with the other resins to be extruded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well-established that food spoilage can be tied, at least in part, to oxidation. Therefore, it is advantageous, when packaging food or even when reclosing a bag containing food, to remove or reduce the oxygen to which the food is exposed. Moreover, particularly with meats and cheese, the removal of trace amounts of oxygen can provide additional shelf life at the point of purchase.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,706 entitled “Gas Scavenging Arrangement” issued on Jun. 16, 1998 to Custer et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,433 entitled “Reclosable Bag with Improved Opening Feature” have used oxygen scavenging polymers in association with press-to-close zippers. While press-to-close zippers are well-developed and are satisfactory for their intended purposes, these zippers sometimes do not engage as securely as is desired for some applications.
Moreover, as oxygen scavenging polymers are relatively expensive, it is advantageous to use as small of a quantity of OSPs as possible in the manufacture of reclosable bags.